Attending CSM was one of the best choices I have ever made. As an international student from Taiwan, I was really excited and nervous about studying in the United States. As it turned out I didn’t have anything to be nervous about. At CSM I was able to pursue my dreams in a diverse educational environment. The college provided me a lot more opportunities than I ever expected and it prepared me for a higher level of education.

Thanks to encouragement from the staff at the International Student Center, I joined the International Student Club and Student Senate during my first year at the college. As an active member of both organizations, I learned to how to create big events, manage a group of people, and apply these events to social issues. I became a student senator and the president of the International Student Club. Those experiences helped me to develop leadership skills, hone my critical thinking abilities and transform my love for public speaking into a voice for students. I worked to become a bridge that connected cultures in the classroom between my teachers and my classmates, through peer-to-peer support.

I gained much from the support provided by Mike Mitchell in Transfer Services and Martin Bednarek in counseling. Mike provided information about different transfer approaches, such as the Transfer Admission Guarantees, assist.org, and the Common Application. He also gave me advice on my personal statement for my transfer application. Martin helped me to build my educational plan, kept track of my progress and helped me to make changes to fulfill the requirements of different universities that I was considering.

CSM was a great transition for me to continue my education in a different country. In two years of studying at CSM, I learned a lot both inside and outside of the classroom. I appreciate that CSM offered me many opportunities to experience various extracurricular activities which helped me prepare for the next stage in my education. Thanks to the wonderful faculty and staff, I gained admission to UC Berkeley, USC, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara. I know that no matter what university I will attend, my education at CSM will serve me well.